Welcome to The Arnold Expedition Historical Society
The Arnold Expedition Historical Society is a 501(c)3 corporation established in 1973 in anticipation of the bicentennial of the expedition in 1975. It then organized and carried out the only large-scale reenactment of the “March to Quebec” ever undertaken. Today, the society owns land and historic easements along the route of the expedition.
The headquarters of the AEHS is the Major Reuben Colburn House in Pittston, Maine. Build in 1775 the house is now a State of Maine Historical site.
The society also maintains hiking trails along the route of the expedition. The Arnold Expedition Historical Society has erected trail signs. An example is this one found on West Carry Pond near Arnold Point. The Appalachian Trail follows the Great Carry Route and is the only section of the AT to follow a Revolutionary war route.
Every season we always strive to refresh our signage and add new signs that will enhance the overall education of the public as they hike these trails.
The society also maintains hiking trails along the route of the expedition and works to collect and document information about the expedition and its participants, and the preservation of artifacts.
Here's the text from an recent article in the Kennebec Historical Society newsletter. This article covers recent donations by AEHS to the KHS and is followed by a link to the whole KHS newsletter. A worthwhile read. If you aren't familiar with the Kennebec Historical Society please take a look at their whole newsletter. You'll find they are a great group.
From the newsletter:
Arnold Group Gives KHS Its Library, Research Documents
The Kennebec Historical Society received two substantial collections on June 1, both from the Pittston-based Arnold Expedition Historical Society. One is the group’s collection of about 50 books, concentrating on Benedict Arnold and
the Arnold Expedition to attack the British at Quebec in particular. The group once housed its library at the state-owned Major Reuben Colburn House in Pittston, but that long-unoccupied building is in now disrepair, so the group members thought it best to transfer their materials to an appropriate facility to allow for preservation and accessibility. They decided the Kennebec Historical Society was the ideal candidate.
The second, and related, gift is the Stephen Darley Collection. Darley, a historian from North Haven, Connecticut, did copious research on the Arnold Expedition and the men who were a part of it. The result was the publication of two books that he wrote: Voices From a Wilderness Expedition: The Journals and Men of Benedict Arnold’s Expedition to Quebec in 1775, and Voices Waiting to Be Heard. Darley died in 2022, and his research materials, including several boxes of scholarly journals, articles, notes, other files, and another 50 or so books, went to the Arnold Expedition Historical Society.
KHS President Kent London hailed the acquisitions as a milestone advancement in the society’s status as a research center. “This is very much a pivotal part of the American Revolution, and to have it in our own collection is extraordinary,” he said, referring to the Arnold Expedition, adding that KHS might consider trying to acquire the copyright to Darley’s books in order to be able to republish them.
Arnold society member Stephen Gehnrich, of Woolwich, first proposed the transfer of the two collections to KHS in an October
2025 conversation with KHS Executive Director Scott Wood at a meeting in Waterville of the Central Maine Heritage Council, an informal consortium of history-related organizations that convenes twice a year at various locations in Kennebec County.
The Arnold group then voted at its January 17 meeting to offer the collections to KHS, and Gehnrich delivered them in June, Wood said.
The Kennebec Historical Society’s Collections Committee voted in July to accept the donations for incorporation into the KHS library and archive at the Henry Weld Fuller Jr. House, located at 107 Winthrop Street in Augusta, where the items will be cataloged and made available to researchers. The Arnold society is still active, maintaining trails along the expedition route, hosting guided hikes, producing newsletters, and providing information on its website, arnoldsmarch.org.
Read the whole newsletter here:
kennebechistorical.org/Kennebec_Current_2026_V36_N04_Jul_Aug_Web.pdf
Can't wait to see the show.
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.It took awhile, but one of the bateaux is back in Pittston. We're waiting on the State to approve a permanent location so we can pour a cement pad for a solid base.
We have a new Email address:
filecabinet@arnoldsmarch.org
HEAR YE! Hear Ye!
Sara Donovan is at it again. If you're in the Sanford area stop in and get an idea of what a person wore back around 1775, 1776.
10:00 AM - Don't be late 🙂
Colonial Clothing Demonstration: Dressing up in the 1700s — Sanford-Springvale Historical Society
www.sanfordhistory.org
Colonial reenactors Sara and Bob Donovan will model and explain colonial attire for men and women, piece by piece, and from head to toe.Latest News
T-shirts from AEHS
T-Shirts From AEHS Are Here! Yep, you know you want one! These are going to make great Christmas presents for
Prelude to the Invasion of Canada
On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted to create the Continental Army, the nation’s first federal
Guided Hikes on The Arnold Trail
Hear ye! Hear ye! Join the Arnold Expedition Historical Society for a guided hike along the Great Carrying Place Portage
East meets West – Trail Clearing Efforts
We couldn’t have asked for better weather for a Trail Work Day. The bugs were few, the temperatures mild compared
Friends of Fort Halifax Bateau Launch
Friends of Fort Halifax Bateau Boat Launch Next week (Tuesday – July 22nd – 10 am) the Friends of Fort
Bateau Build – #5 almost complete
Hear ye! Hear ye! LAST DAY OF THE BUILD! Yes, that’s right, the Tuesday Colburn Barn Bateau Days are coming
May Trail Work Days
HELP WANTED! No Experience required The AEHS Trail committee is seeking volunteers for the annual Great Carrying Place Portage Trail
Newsletter Archive
Click here to explore our archive of newsletters and announcements, dating back to our founding 40 years ago.
Make sure to visit our video and audio booth.
Click here to read more news!